June 2019

Scheana Shay—star of Bravo’s hit series Vanderpump Rules, singer and actress—will host the “Splash Into Summer” pool party on Friday, June 21 during the Foxwoods Resort Casino popular Wonder of the Cocktail event.

A fan favorite on the reality TV show, Shay also starred in the Las Vegas show Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man and hosts a weekly podcast called Scheananigans.

Shay will join guests in beating the summer heat where the sun (and a few cocktails) will refresh body, mind and spirit. The party starts at 11 a.m. at the Fox Tower Pool. Tickets are $50 and on sale at Foxwoods.com/Cocktail.

Scheana Shay

The pool party is part of the three-day Wonder of the Cocktail, a culinary and cocktail affair featuring a resort-wide celebration of free-flowing spirits, entertainment, epicurean experiences and intimate liquor tastings. Food and beverage professionals, spirit enthusiasts and foodies alike will taste exceptional liquors and wines, learn from global experts at master class seminars, and dine with some of Connecticut’s top chefs. Programming includes:

• Master class seminars including a blending workshop with Diplomático Rum; an Agave Lab with Don Julio to learn the rich history of tequila; a tasting with Westland American Single Malt; and a Johnnie Walker blending lab to create your own customized blend
• The “Sip-Savor-Swagger” dine-around featuring food from Connecticut’s premier chefs and expertly-paired cocktails
• Grand Tasting with the world’s finest spirits and hand-selected brands that truly belong beyond the velvet rope

For a full schedule of events and to purchase tickets for any of the Wonder of the Cocktail events, visit Foxwoods.com/Cocktail or call 1-800-FOXWOODS.

The post Scheana Shay to Host Foxwoods Resort Casino’s “Splash Into Summer” Pool Party appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

The ready-to-drink industry, or RTD’s as they are commonly referred to, has exploded in popularity, but “LIQS Cocktail Shots is the only brand producing a truly premium, premixed shot,” says owners Michael Glickman and Harley Bauer, who started the company back in 2014.

“We use top shelf spirits, real fruit juice and natural ingredients, while at the same time making it affordable and producing it fully in the United States.”

LIQS Tequila Cinnamon Orange

Inspired by the sights, sounds and cutting-edge vibe emanating from their New York City headquarters, these early RTD pioneers have created a cocktail shot that satisfies an array of palates and is perfect for any occasion. They offer five flavors, such as the classic Kamikaze or Lemon Drop, and more innovative recipes, like Tequila Cinnamon Orange and Vodka Lychee Grapefruit. LIQS even has a spicy Fireshot, a “cinnamon whiskey mixed with vanilla cream.”  The 20 percent alcohol by volume shots are also low calorie, low sugar and gluten-free, which falls in line with today’s health-focused consumer.

The beauty of an RTD premixed cocktail shot is that “you can either shoot it, sip it or pour it over ice.”  When asked where Michael and Harley like to enjoy LIQS, Harley said, “For Michael, it’s no doubt on his boat, entertaining friends.  For myself, it is on the beach and at BBQs. Being able to open up the ice cooler and have premixed shots ready to go is incredibly convenient!”

I enjoyed a Kamikaze on my porch. There’s something fun about ripping the top off a shot glass and shooting back a yummy cocktail.

LIQS Ready-to-Drink Shots

LIQS is now offering a larger pack at the request of both retailers and consumers, just in time for the busy summer season. Rather than the previous package of three shots, the new sleeves offer four 50ml shots at a suggested retail price of $8.99. Recognizing the importance of sustainability, LIQS plastic shot glasses are recyclable and reusable. The company manufactures its sturdy, BPA-free shot glasses from #1 PET plastic, the most widely recycled plastic in the world. With a simple soapy wash, the shots can be reused, preventing them from ending up in landfills and oceans. We’ll drink to that!

The post LIQS Makes the Perfect Ready-to-Drink Shot appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Calling all Texas, Florida and California bartenders: Balcones Whisky and Chilled Magazine are kicking off the second-annual Balcones Bartender Challenge!

Stake your claim as the Balcones Mixologist of the Year and receive $5,000 by winning this year’s Balcones Bartender Challenge.

Balcones Distilling Barrel Room

How It Works:

Simply create a cocktail using Baby Blue, Texas Rye or the new Pot Still Bourbon. Enter the recipe and a photo of the cocktail online. We will choose six finalists (two from TX, two from FL and two from CA) to present their cocktail at the Balcones distillery in Waco. The winner will receive $5,000 and the runners-up will receive $500.

How To Enter:

Visit ChilledMagazine.com/Balcones to upload your recipe and to read full contest details. The contest runs from June 1 – August 1, 2019. All recipes must include a full list of ingredients and preparation, as well as an image of the cocktail. All entries are due by August 1, 2019. The top six finalists will be chosen by August 20, and the final competition will be held in Waco on September 23, 2019.

Judging Criteria:

• Name: 10 points
• Appearance/Presentation: 15 points
• Inspiration: 25 points
• Creativity: 20 points
• Balance of flavors, aroma and character: 30 points

Prizes Include:

• Top six finalists will win a trip to the Balcones distillery in Waco to present their cocktails to a panel of judges
• Grand Prize = $5,000
• Runners Up + $500 (5 Awarded)

The post It’s Time to Enter the Second Annual Balcones Bartender Challenge appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

The McKittrick Hotel’s rooftop bar in New York City undergoes a dramatic transformation each spring, changing from a cozy mountainside escape known as The Lodge to the outdoor Gallow Green secret garden.

The space is inspired by its downstairs neighbor, Sleep No More, the multimedia, 360-degree, experiential retelling of Macbeth. The bar itself takes its name from the setting of the show, a real place in Paisley, Scotland, that has its own infamous history.

Gallow Green Entrance

Cesar Hawas, special envoy at The McKittrick, describes the setting for Gallow Green as “an abandoned train station in Scotland.” The space has an original train track running through a lush green perennial tunnel. One side is reserved for dining, while the other side has seating and a standing room suited for drinks and lighter fare. “It has a retractable cover to provide both open air space and protection from the elements, and there are two bars for easy access,” says Director of Hospitality Lawrence Green.

Gallow Green Brunch

Gallow Green has been part of The McKittrick since the very beginning, and is constantly evolving based on what’s in bloom during each season. “We start with a spring planting of flowering annuals when we first open, usually pansies and the like,” Green says. “Once things warm up in June, we bring in some summer annuals like marigolds, perennial trumpet vines, and wisteria, along with flowering dogwood trees, black-eyed Susans, geraniums, and sage.”

“Our cocktail menu always features a signature Sleep No More [drink],” says Beverage Director Clayton Mannix. “This year, it’s made with butterfly pea flower-infused vodka, elderflower, and rosé cider. The Gallow Green pays tribute to the rooftop with bourbon, orchard fruits, blue curaçao, and ginger. Both are namesakes inspired by the hotel and its residents.” Frozen drinks, wine by the glass and bottle, seasonal draft beers from local breweries, and bottled ciders are also available.

“The food menu is seasonally inspired and changes as ingredients reach their peak freshness,” Green explains.

“We installed a wood-burning oven a couple years ago to make fresh pizzas, like classic Margherita and meatball, as well as French-inspired tarte flambée. Additional summer favorites include the McKittrick Burger, made with a special blend of steak cuts, organic cheese, homemade pickles, and bacon marmalade, and a lobster roll stuffed with steamed claws on a buttered potato roll.”

Gallow Green Pizza Oven

There’s also a rooftop brunch on weekends that features a lavish buffet with fresh pastries, fruits and salads, made-to-order waffles, and omelet and carving stations, as well as live music by MK Groove. Coffee and tea are included, and Bloody Mary, Mimosa, and Aperol Spritz brunch cocktails are also offered. Sunset Sundays is a free weekly musical series that brings in a variety of artists from jazz and folk to rock, dance, Latin, and more. A full bar and dinner menu service are also available. In addition, Potions & Planting is a children’s tea party on select summer Saturdays that includes a traditional English high tea platter, refreshing pink lemonade, and hands-on lessons in potions and planting.

Make your way to Gallow Green and enjoy summer as it was meant to be enjoyed in New York City. But if you’re not visiting the Big Apple this season, whip up Gallow Green’s signature Sleep No More cocktail at home to revel in your own personal secret garden.

Sleep No More

Sleep No More

Ingredients:

• 1.25 oz. Butterfly Pea Flower-Infused Vodka
• 1 oz. Dolin Blanc Vermouth
• .5 oz. St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• .75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
• .5 oz. Simple Syrup
• splash of Rosé Cider or Dry Sparkling Rosé
• sprig of Fresh Lavender (for Garnish)

Preparation: To infuse the vodka, add 2–4 grams of butterfly pea flowers to 750 ml of vodka. Store at room temperature for 24–72 hours prior to using. The longer you let it sit, the more color is extracted from the flowers. To make the cocktail, combine the infused vodka, vermouth, St-Germain, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Top with rosé cider or dry sparkling rosé. Garnish with a lavender sprig.

The post Meet Gallow Green, NYC’s Enchanted Secret Garden Hideaway appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

My career in bartending started well before I was legally allowed to drink my own creations.

New Jersey State Law says you only have to be 18 to work behind the stick. So when a desperately understaffed general manager asked me if I “wanted in” at the age of 19, I went for it. It’d be nice to say, “And I never looked back,” but that wouldn’t be the truth.

I’ve left and come back to bartending at least five separate times in the past decade. There are so many seemingly justifiable reasons, mainly the appealing normalcy a nine-to-five job can offer. Things like lunch breaks; a regular, static schedule, and PTO seem so shiny to an outsider looking in.

Alicia Raeburn

Anyone who bartends understands the hardship that comes with the job—the late hours, the ever-changing schedule, the difficulty maintaining relationships (you know … the people who don’t understand that taking off on a Saturday for a bartender is the same as a nine-to-fiver calling out on a Monday). The abusive toll the work takes on your body over days, months, and years, constantly being on your feet, hauling ice buckets, and throwing kegs around. The job is grueling.

After working at bars throughout my early twenties, I decided it was time to grow up and get a “real” job. I had just paid my way through college using this so-called “fake” job, and something told me it was time to actually use the degree I had earned.

I did a stint working environmental science jobs in the Northeast, hauling fish out of the Hudson River in drift nets and measuring culverts in the heavily polluted tributaries of New Jersey. Shortly after, I got an office job, where I stayed for a few years. I hated it. The people were nice enough and the work was fine, but I spent the time I had on the computer weeding through passive-aggressive emails, where my only excitement was trying to decide if I should use an exclamation point in my correspondence.

Ask a Bartender

It became quickly apparent that I didn’t know how to relate to the nine-to-fivers. I started to miss the frequent outbursts that came with the high-intensity, high-stress work found in the world of bartending. When something is wrong behind the bar, there’s no sugarcoating. You just don’t have the time. If you react in anger, you apologize (usually over a drink) and all is forgiven. The whole operation seems much simpler to me.

Despite my semi-dysfunctional relationship with bartending, the truth is that I really enjoy the work. I love creating and using my hands when I’m behind the bar in a fine dining restaurant, and I also enjoy the physical labor and adrenaline rush that comes with sprinting back and forth in a small space for 12 hours at busy bars where you’re forced to hustle.

Mostly, though, it’s the people that keep me coming back to my career as a bartender. I relate to the merry band of misfits found in the restaurant industry, more than I ever did with anyone in my other previous jobs.

I feel at home with restaurant workers, people who aren’t afraid of severe sleep deprivation and whose foul jokes and language would make a sailor blush. I’m proud to work in an industry where “normal” folks wouldn’t last five minutes behind a bar that’s five-deep.

And I love the customers, too. I’ve had regulars who know more about me than my husband does. I know their kids, what they did for the holidays, and all sorts of other personal information about them.

Whether the bar is in a Michelin-starred restaurant or is a back-alley dive, the work requires a certain type of grit—and that attracts me. Something about the camaraderie of it all lends a realness so often lacking in our modern, Instagram-happy world.

It’s also an admirable and, mostly, lucrative profession. As a bartender, I keep coming back to the stick because the love of being a professional bartender is strong in this love-hate relationship.

The post Bartending and Me: A Love-Hate Relationship appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News